Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mauritius

As UNCTAD celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, Mauritius takes great pride in its evolution from conference diplomacy status into an authoritative knowledge-based UN institution geared towards shaping current policy debates and thinking on development and trade.

This evolution bolsters its relevance in an increasingly volatile international environment in which UNCTAD strives to assist the beneficial integration of the developing countries, least developed countries (LDCs) and inherently vulnerable small island developing states (SIDS), like Mauritius, into the global economy and into a multilateral trading system which is and must remain development-oriented.

UNCTAD's tailor-made technical assistance, flagship analytical reports and highly contributive research on changing paradigms of development are unanimously acknowledged. Further its informed advocacy on a large number of global issues that affect developing countries, make of UNCTAD an indispensable intergovernmental forum for deliberations and consensus-building on the cross-cutting development-trade nexus.

We congratulate and thank UNCTAD for fifty years of dedicated service to reinforcing international relations through advancing knowledge and action. We welcome more of UNCTAD, not less.